Dealing Hearts
by CrazyRandomGirl
Summary: Shadow likes Amy, Rouge likes Knuckles, but neither of their pursuits have been going too swimmingly. The two strike up a deal, one that cannot be broken no matter what- get a date with their crush within a month, or be forced to go on a date with each other. Only bad can come from this. (ShadAmy, Knuxouge, Shadouge).
1. Paper

**Dealing Hearts**

Okay! Hey guys, so I've hopped back into the Sonic fandom recently by watching a little too much Sonic X (my boyfriend and I may or may not have watched every episode in a little more than a week…) and playing Sonic Heroes as if I have nothing better to do (I don't). Due to these recent developments and a lot of extra time on my hands lately, I've decided to write my first ever full length Sonic fanfic! (I already have a one shot titled 'They'll Never Know' if you fancy checking it out!)

Now before we jump right into the story I just wanna leave a quick message about its content. I know that there's a LOT of craziness over couples and pairings in this fandom and I just want to make myself very very clear here: I ship BOTH Knuxouge and Shadouge as well as BOTH Sonamy and Shadamy. Bottom line- I don't have any strong feelings towards one way or the other, all are adorable in my eyes. I don't want to spoil the ending by saying who ends up with who here, but just know that if you have any strong feelings of hate towards any of these pairings you may find some of the content rather aggravating. If this is the case, please keep pointless hate out of the reviews because it won't change what I'm going to write! Constructive criticism is more than welcome though!

This takes place at no specific point in the games timeline, I've hinted at certain plots a bit but mostly I've just made a lot of the world up.

Well then after that long note- let's get started!

Disclaimer- I wish I owned Sonic but I don't, Sega does… duhhh! (I also didn't invent 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'… look it up xD)

**Chapter One: Paper**

(Shadow)

Almost effortlessly I bolted up the back staircase to the upper floor of _Club Rouge_ as my pursuers followed. I was nearly certain I'd shaken their trail quite a way back, but there was never a guarantee, I'd had to learn that the hard way over the years. Hastily I fumbled with my keys and unlocked the back door as fast as I could: even though I was in a hurry, I still wasn't prepared to deal with the consequences of breaking Rouge's stuff. The main entrance was through the club itself but I couldn't risk going in that way, not with a gang of robots following close behind. Once inside, I bolted the door behind me and took one final glance out of the window. It didn't look like I'd been followed as far as the club, which was a good thing for a number of reasons: a) they wouldn't know where to look for me next, and b) I didn't want them invading the first home I'd ever really had.

For the past few months, since discovering the truth about what happened before the battle on Space Colony Ark, I'd been living with Rouge and working with her and the other G.U.N agents while simultaneously helping her out in the club. To say it was a change of scene for me was an understatement- I'd always gone it alone or swayed more towards Eggman's loyalties- but settling into a routine and having somewhere to come home to felt… really good. I was more at peace with myself, but Eggman still had to try and spoil my fun, and all because he felt I'd double crossed him. It was his robots that had been following me, spying on me from all over the city. I'd been avoiding them for weeks, hoping to keep as under the radar as possible and not alert Eggman to my current residence. As the Ultimate Life Form, the man was more of an annoyance than a threat, and honestly I couldn't be bothered with the fight that would undoubtedly ensue if I was ever found. He was a waste of my time at best.

The upstairs back door of _Club Rouge _lead into our little kitchen; a somewhat cramped but well-loved room with a white linoleum floor and pale lilac walls. All over the refrigerator, scraps of paper containing important dates and times for the club, G.U.N and our personal agendas were fastened on with round black magnets. Our alphabet magnets (that Rouge insisted on having to make the place 'homely') were cleverly arranged to spell out "Shadow is a douchebag" by the bat herself. It wasn't uncommon for her to leave insulting little messages for me to come home too, but I never lowered myself to giving a response. Instead, I simply mashed the letters up into an incoherent jumble: that way she knew I'd seen it and didn't approve, yet the game still continued.

I made my way into the living room- also rather small- and flopped down on my favourite black recliner. From there, I could reach the book shelf, and I did so without looking. I allowed my fingers to dance along the spines of the books, trusting my natural instincts to pick out a good read. I had gotten into classic literature ever since I had been living here: it was deep, usually dark, and some of it wasn't much older than me. Rouge had a lot of books lying around that were left by the previous owners of the property and she never really read them herself. I felt like the authors just 'got' me, and it was nice to disappear into someone else's world for a while.

I latched onto a book and pulled it towards me: 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde- a story of vanity, callousness, soullessness and revenge- something I could more than relate to. I began to read, pondering as I did exactly what Wilde was trying to prove. Not every beautiful person was '_a face without a heart_,' I knew that for certain from personal experience. But vanity… vanity was different from beauty. I was somewhat vain I supposed, so certain of my power that I felt no threat. I also happened to be ageless, against the laws of nature as Dorian was. Perhaps a few months ago I would've believed that I too was doomed, but recently I'd started to feel a little more as though I was finally in the right place.

After reading a few chapters, I was drawn out of my thoughts by a sarcastic call of "honey I'm home". The velvety, feminine voice had come from none other than my housemate, Rouge the Bat. There she stood in the doorway, donning the pink and purple cat suit that she so often wore, the one that clung to her body in a way that was so frustratingly flattering. A lot of guys wanted Rouge, there was no doubt about that, but although her beauty was undeniable, I didn't really see her in that way. She'd been my ally, someone who I could rely on in business situations, and had been kind enough to take me in when I had nowhere else to go. Now it was safe to say we were friends, good friends, and I hadn't had a friend since… well…_her_. Maria. Part of me worried about getting too close to Rouge for fear that she would be taken from me as Maria was, but then I always remembered that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Rouge was strong, super smart, and incredibly skilled in battle. She could handle herself almost as well as I could.

I placed the book down on the coffee table in front of me and nodded to greet her.

"You know I don't like that" I responded gruffly, "that cutsey talk _or_ the thing with the magnets." At this she chuckled and plonked herself down on the plush red sofa adjacent to me, crossing her legs as she did.

"Awww don't be mad Shaddy I'm only messing with ya" she replied, playfully punching my arm. At this I smiled a little. I hated to admit it but I loved it when she showed me affection like that, just the slightest touch showing me that she cared and that we really were friends. No one had ever really been like that with me before, her playfulness was refreshing.

"Hmm, I know", I said. Suddenly I thought I should tell her about the earlier events of the day, she would surely want to know that the robot stalking's were getting worse. Maybe G.U.N would finally agree to do something about it. "Hey Rouge I-"

"-Can it wait?" she cut in, suddenly abuzz with excitement. Who was I to take that from her?

"I guess…"

"Good!" she declared, "you will _never_ guess what I've been up to today." I took a moment to think about it.

"Well, if it's not to do with G.U.N, the club or that echidna you're screwing I'm all out of guesses." I teased, actually cracking a full smile. Rouge hated when I brought up Knuckles, largely because she hadn't wanted me to know anything about their secret affairs in the first place. Unfortunately I recently came home to the rather unpleasant sight of them … *ahem*… 'canoodling'… on the couch, and I hadn't let it go since.

"Hey!" Rouge defended, "I'll have you know that Knuckles and I don't 'screw' we 'make love'."

I visibly gagged, at which she chuckled.

"You know that phrase makes me cringe!" I warned, "and anyhow, if there's all this 'love' between your sheets then why aren't you guys official yet?"

"Oh.. you know Knuckie" she mused, attempting to seem carefree but her eyes betraying her. "He's all about that Master Emerald- not that I blame him, that thing is b-e-a-utiful. I doubt he has time for a relationship these days. I guess I'm the same really, this arrangement just works for us, you know?"

"Not really" I admitted.

"Of course you don't" she sighed, clearly put out but still mustering a small smile for me. She was a strong girl, not just physically but mentally. She cared a lot more than she wanted people to think, and the fact that she managed to maintain such a secure front was really a feat in itself. I suppose the two of us had that in common.

"So… about what happened today?" I prompted, changing the subject in an attempt to cheer her up. I never was good at comforting.

"Oh, yeah" she responded, her eyes immediately gaining their sparkle back as the excitement returned. I liked her better this way. "Basically, there's this guy. G.U.N seem to think he's responsible for a major bank robbery downtown, but the police have never identified anyone so it's all risky business- hence why we're involved. It seems a long shot that it _is_ this guy, but Topaz claims they've done their research. Anyway, he's entering this talent show at city hall, he plays guitar and sings or something I dunno, guess it's his day job. In the show you go through three rounds and get to train with professionals- professionals with lots and lots of money-alongside other contestants: that's where I come in."

"So let me guess… _you_ are being entered into the show to spy on him? What on _earth_ are you going to do? You have a _talent_?"

Rouge looked almost genuinely offended at this, but regained her cocky demeanour in no time.

"I have a lot of talents, honey, ones you can only dream of" she teased. "But seriously: I sing, dumbass, I've always sung, didn't you know?" she asked. I couldn't help but be completely bewildered. To say she'd caught me off guard was an understatement.

"Rouge, _no one_ knew. Name one other person you've told this to" I argued. She struggled to find a response, something that was extremely rare for the legendary sass queen Rouge the Bat. I'd made my point.

"Okay maybe no one knew" she admitted, "but I do sing… though maybe not fantastically." Unless I was greatly mistaken, I could have sworn I saw her blush a little at that moment. If there was one thing I knew about my teammate, it was that she found it extremely difficult to admit defeat. "But the point is" she continued, "I'm there to spy, not to win: I'm only posing as a contestant… though the prize _is_ a pretty hefty sum of cash."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. Jewels and money meant more to Rouge than anything I had ever known to mean to anyone. She was so materialistic that at times it irritated me. While I was deep, she was shallow, but I supposed that balanced us out. "And how do you expect to win if you're not even that good?"

"Well…" she began, her trademark mischievous look crossing her face. "It may help that I intend to be wearing next to nothing throughout the performance and potentially incorporating a pole dancing routine… we'll see." As she spoke those last words she flashed a wink in my direction. I wasn't even sure if she was joking, I could've sworn that bat just flirts with everyone.

"Oh dear Chaos" I groaned, physically face-palming at the mere thought. As I raised my head once again, I couldn't help but laugh and I guess my laughter was infectious because soon Rouge was laughing too. I rarely laughed, and when I did it only ever seemed to be in her company. The girl was, essentially, a lifesaver, and she interested me to no end. Once she started talking I was always engaged straight away, always eager to know how her stories finished.

When we finally calmed down she uttered, "Well Shadow, I'm glad you get your kicks from my failed attempts to be sexy."

"Oh, they don't fail, I've seen guys that would commit murder for you" I admitted, "but I can't help but notice that you're completely insane. It's always fun to watch your dramas unfold. You're like live reality TV." At this she laughed again, and I couldn't help but join her.

"Shadow, you're a funny guy, why can't you be like this _all_ the time, why always so sour?" she pressed playfully, batting her eyelashes in some sort of attempt to get answers. I simply shrugged and folded my arms, leaning further back into the recliner.

"I just don't have a lot to laugh about" I admitted, another shrug accompanying my blunt statement. "Which reminds me of what I was supposed to tell you earlier" I continued, "I was stalked for a good hour by Eggman's spies today; they almost followed me back here. This is getting out of control."

At this, Rouge became instantly more serious, switching smoothly into business mode. "I still don't get why you don't just beat the crap out of them. It can't be too hard to defeat a few little robots, not for the "ultimate life form"".

"Hey, the air quotes weren't necessary there!" I warned, "I _am_ the ultimate life form. Fact is, I just want to stay under the radar, for now at least, you know? Destroying those spy's would only make Eggman think I'm up to something. More spies would be sent out, more powerful ones, they'd track me down to here."

"And why exactly is _that_ such a big deal?" Rouge questioned, folding her arms across her chest and turning ever so slightly away from me.

"Because maybe I like it here and don't want to risk it being blown to pieces in some pointless battle" I replied. Rouge looked stunned, turning back towards me and listening more intently. "I… I can't lose this life now I've found it, I've never settled before." It was hard for me to admit, just as it was hard for me to show affection, but Rouge needed to know just how much all this meant to me.

Quickly she snapped out of her astonishment and came back with a quick retort. "Aww, do I make Shaddy happy?" she cooed, leaning towards me and patronisingly tickling my chin. I batted her hand away and rolled my eyes, but I knew she could tell that she did, whether I wanted to express it or not.

Suddenly, she practically leapt from her seat, startling me. "I can't _believe_ I haven't told you this yet!" she exclaimed, "this is gonna make you even happier: Amy broke up with Sonic. As in _she_ broke up with _him_. Never saw that one coming, but from what she told me it doesn't look like they're getting back together any time soon."

It took a while for me to see exactly what Rouge was implying, but to say my heart didn't skip a beat would be lying. I'd admired Amy from afar for a long time, ever since she helped me to get in touch with my humanity and save the world. She was such a _good_ person, it was truly admirable how pure and loving she was. I could never be that in all my life, but to know there were people out there that were gave me hope.

Keeping my face neutral, I replied, "and why would that interest me?" I think I played it off pretty cool.

Rouge wasn't buying it.

"Come on Shadow, I know you like her. It's more obvious than you think."

"I like a lot of people." I lie. I hated a solid 80% of the people I knew and , for the most part, only tolerated the rest.

"But you _like_ like her, don't you?" she teased.

"Is this kindergarten? Have I gone through some sort of time warp? Are you five?" I retorted, a small smirk crossing my features.

"I could help you get together" she offered, completely ignoring my comment. "I'm good at this kinda stuff, I know what girls like." It was probably true, Rouge had more experience in the field of romantic interactions than the majority of people, but when it came to constructing an actual relationship she always fell short.

"Can we drop this? I'm hungry" I interjected. Discussing my feelings had never been on my list of favourite things to do, not even with Rouge.

"Normally, I'd give you hell for changing the subject, but me too" she agreed, "let's make some dinner."

(Rouge)

We didn't make dinner. We ordered pizza. Before Shadow had moved in I'd tried to cook a few more simple things like pasta and noodles, as well as anything you could just bung in the oven. The issue was it nearly always went wrong somehow. I clearly wasn't cut out for cooking, and although I could just about stomach the crap I made, I didn't want to force it on anyone else. Shadow could cook a little, if he could be bothered, which most of the time he couldn't. We lived off of ready meals and takeaway, unless of course I managed to coax Shadow into going to a classy restaurant, but dressing up wasn't his thing.

We sat around the table as we ate, Shadow with his nose in a book, making very little conversation as usual. I was jotting down some important dates and times for G.U.N when I had the sudden thought that one of the talent show days might clash with a live act coming into the club. I stood up and checked the fridge for any notes that might enlighten me but found nothing. G.U.N work always came first; after all I wasn't getting any closer to precious gems working at a nightclub- that part was only really a cover- and would have to be rearranged in accordance with G.U.N's plans.

"Shadow you don't have next week's club entertainment schedule do you? I can't find it." I asked.

"You've barely looked!" he responded, seeming more aggravated with me than he should be. Probably all because I disrupted his 'reading zone'.

"Have to!" I argued. He just stared blankly at me, not even flinching. He frustrated me so much, his aura of calmness and indifference made me feel so disconnected to him at times. It was the price I had to pay for getting close to the Ultimate Life Form- he wasn't as in tune with his emotions as I was, and yet somehow I could see that under it all he really did care for me.

"As it happens, the notes are in my room." He explained in a monotonous voice.

I was seething.

"AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE JUST TOLD ME THAT BEFORE GETTING ALL GRUMPY WITH ME?!" I exclaimed, grabbing hold of his shoulders. He just let out a faint chuckle. He loved to mess with me, perhaps even more than I loved to mess with him.

I shook off my anger and strolled into his bedroom, a small, rectangle shaped room with navy walls and a single bed pushed into the corner. I gravitated towards his desk, my eyes scanning all around as I began to rifle through the sheets of paper that littered the surface. He had so much crap lying around: poetry he'd either written or copied out, sketches he'd done, random business related notes… and that's when I saw it.

Hidden at the very bottom of the pile was not the entertainment rota, but rather a sketch of a certain pink hedgehog. My jaw dropped at first and I couldn't help but scoff. Shadow was such a liar, it was clear he had a thing for the Rose girl, but he would never have admitted it to me. Didn't he _trust_ me? Okay I kinda understood that, I wasn't the most loyal person in the world. But surely he knew that he was an exception to my traitorous ways? He was my best friend; he should have been able to tell me this sort of stuff.

I flipped over the page, seeing text scribbled across the back. As I read through it, a sly smirk spread over my face before I could stop it. This was golden.

Overjoyed with my little discovery, I pranced back out into the kitchen. Before Shadow even looked up at me, I made my dramatic entrance.

I cleared my throat

"Dear Amy" I began. Shadows head immediately snapped up and he dropped his book. He looked mortified, and the torture had barely begun. I would enjoy this.

"I don't know how to put my feelings into words, I've never been very good at it. So here goes…" I had only just started reading when Shadow lurched for me. He was- of course- too fast to try to outrun, and he caught me before I could even make it out of the room. He slammed me against the wall, wrestling with me in an attempt to pull the paper from my hands. I was certainly stronger than I looked, and if I could hold my own against Knuckles, I could hold my own against him.

"This isn't funny Rouge" Shadow growled, anger flaring in his eyes. From the angle I was at, I still had a perfect view of the paper. I continued to read.

"Your beauty is astounding, but your heart is even more so. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, how anyone could possibly be so good, so inspiring." Shadow made another attempt to grab the paper, to no avail, though he did crumple it too much for me to read.

"There's some good stuff in here Shaddy" I commented slyly, "You should give this to her." Finally, he was able to pry the paper from me and quickly retreated to the other side of the room.

"You were never supposed to read that" he sighed. I rolled my eyes and tried to gather my bearings.

"No shit" I replied. "When did you even write that?"

"Months ago" he answered, "before Amy and Sonic started dating. I _was_ going to give it to her, but then that faker had to swoop in and steal my thunder as per usual." I was sure my sympathy showed in my eyes and I carefully walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder. To my surprise, he leaned into me and sighed once more- defeated.

"I'm sorry" I apologised, "I didn't realise-"

"It's okay," he interjected, waving me off him. "I haven't really thought about her in a while. I've just accepted that a guy like me could never really have a relationship, you know?"

"Don't say that!" I argued, "you have a million qualities girls love." And it was true. Aside from being ridiculously good looking, Shadow was deep, sensitive and artistic, and when he cared about someone, he _really_ cared.

I decided I needed to step in here- even the Ultimate Life Form needed a confidence boost sometimes. My brain began to whir with crazy schemes and ideas.

"Shadow, I have a plan."

Okay guys, that's that for now! REVIEWS are very welcome, I love feedback, good and bad, it really helps! See you soon!


	2. Sweetening

**Dealing Hearts**

Hello again lovelies! Thank you so much to everyone reading and reviewing! Again, I stress, if you fancy dropping me a review, please do, it's so much help and drives me to keep writing! I'll almost definitely reply too because I love chatting to fellow Shadow fanboys/girls haha! Also, if there's any kinks in my story that need ironing out, you guys can discuss it with me, group effort!

Without further ado, on with the story!

Disclaimer: again I own nothing but will continuously dream that I do.

**Chapter 2: Sweetening**

(Shadow)

My immediate reaction to Rouge's words would usually have been a simple, blunt 'no', but this time I took the chance to reconsider. When the bat had a plan, it normally resulted in disaster or somehow worked in her own benefit but nobody else's.

"Go on" I replied reluctantly, crossing my arms.

"It's more of a wager than a plan really" Rouge continued. She began to pace the kitchen, using dramatic arm movements to illustrate what she had in mind. "I _know_ I can help you get Amy" she continued, "I don't doubt my skills, perhaps you do, but just this once, I want you to trust me."

"Hmph" I replied, the sound itself speaking louder than any words could.

"I should be offended you know, aren't we supposed to be _best_ friends?" she argued.

"Not too sure about the 'best' part" I replied, cracking a sideways smirk. She rolled her eyes at me and continued, preferring not to engage.

"I'm thinking maybe we could implement a three stage plan. The simple steps would be: a) sweetening, b) seduction and c) sex… or 'relationship' in this particular case, but that would break my alliteration and in honesty, it wouldn't hurt you to get laid."

A tried to stop the blush spreading across my cheeks, but failed miserably. What was worse was the fact that Rouge could tell she'd embarrassed me. Sex talk made me more uncomfortable than anything. Perhaps it was to do with the fact I was made and not born, I wasn't a product of sex and so really had nothing to do with it, especially since-

"You've never done it, have you?" a wide-eyed, shocked Rouge questioned, interrupting my thoughts. By now she was sat on the edge of the kitchen table opposite where I was standing, leaning towards me intently. When I didn't reply she assumed she was right, which in truth, she was.

"A gorgeous, mysterious guy like you?" she continued, seeming genuinely amazed "shut up."

"I wasn't speaking"

"No Shadow" she replied, frustrated, "shut up as in 'no way, I'm so surprised right now'. Did you pay _no_ attention when I forced you to watch _Mean Girls_?"

"Evidently not" I countered. Rouge- lacking female friends- often forced me to do girly stuff with her. Needless to say I wasn't amused.

"Whatever" she said, dismissing the topic with a wave of her hand. "The point is, Shadow, I was surprised, but actually now I think about it I'm not." For a moment I wondered if I should be offended, if that would be the reaction of a normal person that wasn't an artificially created life form, but I allowed her to continue.

For once she actually looked sincere as she spoke.

"Thing is" she began, "I can imagine you haven't had a great amount of time to be concerned with girls, not with everything you've had to deal with over the years." I nodded a little, showing she was right. I couldn't make eye contact with her, when her words were so true I felt almost violated, like she was staring into my soul and stealing information. She spoke again.

"Have… have you even kissed anyone?" Rouge didn't often look nervous, but as she uttered those words, she stared at her hands, twiddling her thumbs around one another.

Embarrassed, I owned up to the truth. "Never" I confirmed, blushing more than ever.

"Wow" she replied, "for the "ultimate life form" you're not exactly smooth with the ladies are you." At this she began to chuckle, as did I, the awkwardness of the conversation ebbing away.

For a moment after we stopped laughing, all was silent, before Rouge uttered "we have to do something about this."

"We do?" I replied, dreading to hear what she had in mind.

"Absolutely, we can't have you going in to kiss Amy with no idea what you're doing!" With that she jumped down from the table, landing about two feet in front of me. "I'm gonna teach you."

Suddenly, I became all too aware of how close she was to me, I could feel her energy buzzing next to mine. I blushed profusely.

"Uhh… Rouge, is that really necessary?" I stammered as she advanced on me even more, her confidence in the matter overwhelming me and pinning me in place. "I mean, would Amy really mind?" I couldn't believe that in the fray of all that was going on, I had somehow agreed to go along with her plan to help me get Amy. Perhaps it was because I liked Amy a lot, perhaps it was because I really wanted a girlfriend for the first time in my life, or perhaps Rouge was just way too sneaky and convincing. Conniving bat.

"Do you want your poor kissing skills to screw the whole thing up when you finally have her where you want her?" she countered.

"No but… HEY! Poor kissing skills? How would _you_ know my skills are poor?" I argued.

"How would you know you even have skills?"

"I'm the ultimate life form, I'm basically perfect." I flashed a triumphant grin in her direction, clearly irritating her as much as I intended to.

"Cocky much?" she responded.

"And you're not?" I asked back. "We're as bad as one another, end of discussion."

"Not until I prove you wrong." She glared at me as she spoke, staring me down.

I wasn't sure what it was that made me act in that moment or what gave me a sudden surge of confidence. Rouge was just making me so angry and she was just so close and I was just so _right_ in the argument that I had to do something.

So I kissed her. I kissed her before she had the chance to patronisingly kiss me and judge my every move. I kissed her forcefully, angrily, pulling her towards me and pressing her lips to my own in one swift movement, my right hand securely placed on the small of her back. If I'd been watching closely, I was sure I would've seen her eyes widen in shock and then gently flutter closed, but my own eyes were shut tight. It didn't last long, a few seconds at most, and she was too shocked to properly respond, but I was sure I hadn't done too badly- for an amateur.

As I released her from my grasp, she slowly staggered back, holding onto the table for support. She looked shocked, stunned in fact: mission accomplished. I folded my arms and smiled a snarky smile, raising my eyebrows as if to say 'told you so'.

"Well," began Rouge, clearly flustered, but straightening herself up. "It appears you don't need to make any alterations in that area." I couldn't help but chuckle, never in my life had I successfully managed to catch Rouge off guard and it was so beautifully ironic that I had finally done so by beating her at her own game. Once she regained her balance she said "so, how does it feel to have finally had your first kiss?"

I shrugged, but the smile tugging at the corners of my lips told all. "Pretty good" I replied, "never thought I'd have it with a notorious jewel thief though, bit of a bummer." To say I didn't enjoy the kiss would be a lie; it was a sensation I had never felt before and one I definitely liked. The closeness, the warmth, the butterflies raging in my stomach had all been foreign to me, but I'd liked it- a lot.

Rouge feigned offense. "Well!" she exclaimed, "I never thought I'd end up being kissed by the world's most emo anti-hero but I guess life is just full of surprises." We smiled at each other, friendly, intimacy free normality finally restored.

"I can't believe I'm egging you on about this" I began, "and I'm so gonna regret this, but about this plan?"

"Oh yes! The great and wonderful plan!" Rouge replied, "okay, listen here…"

(Rouge)

I grabbed a notebook from the kitchen draw and began to outline my scheme, using the three 'S's' as a starting point. In truth, I hadn't properly thought out stages two and three yet, but stage one would be a cinch.

"Okay" I began, triumphantly slamming the finished notes down on the kitchen table. "To begin phase one- 'sweetening'- we need to find a way for you to break the ice with Amy, for her to _truly_ see that you have good intentions towards her and- more importantly- are a nice guy… well, mostly."

Shadow rolled his eyes at me, huffing as he so often did, as if he were so far above my banter. He probably was.

"We need to lure her to somewhere that you can prove that" I continued, "but we have to be subtle about it."

"_Lure_ her?" Shadow responded, "this is getting creepier by the second, we're not kidnapping her here Rouge, this isn't a jewel heist."

"I know, I know" I replied, waving off his comment, "I'm not thinking about leading her to an abandoned warehouse or anything… somewhere closer to home. I say we get her to the club, make some fake flyers advertising cheap drinks for singles or something and tell her to come along. Likelihood is she'll show up with a friend, but I'll take care of that, I make an excellent wing woman." I tried with all my might not to make a pun about the fact that I was a good wing woman because I actually _had_ wings, and only just managed to keep it in.

"And then what?" asked Shadow, still seeming confused about his objectives. Shadow, though so very similar to the rest of us physically, was worlds apart mentally. He wasn't exactly a mastermind in the field of social interaction, probably because- for the most part- he just didn't really like people all that much.

"And _then_ you strike up a conversation with her" I said, as though it were blatantly obvious, which honestly it was, at least to me. I decided to offer more of my valuable wisdom. "You'll want to bring up the break up, but not in a way that seems like you're prying. Check that she's okay, make small talk, make it clear you think _he's_ in the wrong, but don't come on too strong. Make it seem like you have no ulterior motive for talking to her besides the fact that you like her company. If you hit on her now, it's all over: you look like a dick for exploiting her weakness- Sonic- just to have her for yourself. Understand?"

"How could I possibly remember all that?" Shadow questioned, a puzzled look crossing his features. It was actually kind of adorable seeing Shadow confused; he was always so focused and in control, it was a very rare sight. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Don't worry Shaddy, if you two are meant to be, it will all go smoothly" I replied, comforting him as best I could.

"That's actually pretty deep Rouge, especially for you" he teased. It wasn't deep. In fact I'd pulled the line from thin air, but at least it'd worked.

"I try"

"So what's the end goal of this 'sweetening' stuff" he asked, making air quotes with his fingers. "How does it lead to the next step?" Mere seconds after the words had left his mouth he groaned and rubbed his temples in frustration. "Ughh I can't believe I'm going along with this, the things I let you get me into!"

"You love it" I giggled, "but anyway, by the end of the meeting at the club you should aim to have another interaction with her arranged. Make it very casual- see if she wants to grab coffee the next morning and continue the conversation, for example. That way we can move onto phase two."

"Right" replied Shadow with a nod. He looked conflicted; I could tell he wasn't quite on board with everything yet. I just wished more than anything that he trusted me a little more. I knew I was flippant and obnoxious, but I had been nothing but good to him. "This better not fail, bat, or you'll have hell to pay" Shadow continued with a lopsided smirk.

"Oh it won't" I replied, slyness radiating from me. "I'm confident in my abilities- _very confident_. This is where the wager part comes in." I'd been debating making the plan a bet, but I'd always thought that a person's willingness to bet on themselves to succeed always projected an aura of confidence, one I thought Shadow needed to see in order to fully believe I knew what I was doing. "I promise that I can help you get a date with Amy before the three weeks of the talent show are up" I continued, striding over to the black hedgehog. "If I fail- I'll take you on a date _myself_. Deal?"

That look of confusion returned to Shadow's face, twisting his features. "But… why would you do that?" he asked, "why would you _want_ that?"

"Maybe I'm saying it because I know it'll never come to that" I replied, "I'm just that positive this will work." For a moment after, I let my cocky front fall down as I placed a hand on my ally's shoulder. "Or maybe it would be an apology for failing you." I sighed, staring at my feet. "I know I'm not Amy, but I'm sure as hell going to get you a date one way or another, a guy as great as you deserves to know that people care about them, even if we just become a thing for one evening."

Shadow blinked and raised his eyes to meet mine, a look of faith in them that I rarely saw. He _believed _me. He didn't think it was a trick. Good sign.

"What about your _boyfriend_ Knuckles?" he asked teasingly, "wouldn't he care?"

"Knuckles is _not_ my boyfriend" I scoffed, "he'll be fine…" Again, Shadow looked as though he genuinely believed me and nodded in agreement.

"So what do you say?" I continued, dropping my hand from his shoulder and extending it for him to shake. "You in?" He paused for a moment in consideration, before taking my hand in a firm handshake.

"I'm in" he replied with a nod of his head. "I could definitely benefit from being a little more social."

"You think?" I joked as I headed away from him, towards my bedroom.

"Where you headed?" he asked casually, slumping down into a chair and picking his book up.

"To make those flyers" I replied, "it's not like they're going to write themselves.

* * *

><p>My bedroom was very different to Shadows; it was, after all, the master suite. On the back wall was a large window- ceiling to floor- and my bed was placed a few feet in front of it. I had cream carpet and red walls and most of my furniture was made of dark wood. I had a lot of expensive things lying around, namely in my large jewellery case, but I also owned a plasma screen tv and a state of the art laptop. It was clear whereabouts in the house our money had gone, but as far as I was concerned, it was well worth it.<p>

I sat down at my desk and began to work on the flyers, unable to escape the nagging thought that I might have been getting a little bit _too_ into the task. Maybe I was being hard on myself. Why shouldn't I be excited for Shadow? After all, I'd never known him to have a crush before, this was a big deal! I just wanted the very best for my friend: that was all.

But then another thought entered my mind, one that brought with it swirling feelings and a swarm of butterflies.

That _kiss_.

I'd never known Shadow could be so passionate; he was usually so indifferent, even to me. Of course I knew he was _capable_ of great amounts of emotion, he'd proven that over the years every time he told me about Maria, every time he did something for the benefit of others, and every time he spoke a kind word to me. He just always held back, always restricted himself in how much he would show. But that kiss… it had been all his emotions at once, a tidal wave of rage, arrogance, compassion… lust? Surely not. Shadow and I didn't see each other in that way, and I'd kissed a _lot_ of guys who didn't mean it before. It wasn't something I was going to let myself get stuck on.

By this time, my flyers were nearly finished. I planned to give one to Amy and then print some larger ones to stick up around the club, to make the event official. I supposed we would have to offer 'cheap booze for swinging singles' for the one night, but I sure as hell wasn't going to go out of my way to advertise it outside of the clubs walls. I didn't want to have to make it a regular occurrence. Money was far too precious.

As I watched the finished flyers glide out of the printer, my mobile chimed, signalling that I had a text. I checked the lock screen, discovering that it read: Text Message: Knuckiexox. I sighed as I unlocked my phone and accessed the message. I liked Knuckles. In truth I had _always_ liked Knuckles. He was someone I had always gone out of my way to see; winding him up brightened my day. Around a year ago, after years of flirting and playfully tormenting one another, we had finally caved and slept together in a hurricane of pent up lust and passion. One of the main things that drew me to him was his raw energy- he was so hot-headed that I could tell he had a fierce animal side that he constantly fought to keep under control. He'd certainly proven me right.

The first time we had sex, he had physically ripped my clothes from my body, something no guy had ever dared to do. I was infamous for being a bit of a hoarder, for spending too much on too much (or just stealing it) and valuing my possessions more than people. Knuckles just _didn't care_. He wasn't afraid of me, he was my equal in every possible way and I loved that. As far as I was concerned, it took a lot for a guy to measure up to me, most guys who aimed for me punched well above their weight. Not Knuckles. We were perfectly matched.

I read the text:

_Fancy heading out to Angel Island? It's a clear night, I'm thinking we could have a little fun __**outside**_**. **_Let me know  
>xx<em>

A few months ago, I would have jumped for joy at the prospect of adventurous outdoor 'fun', but it just wasn't enough anymore. My problem? I was starting to like Knuckles _too _much. We'd been rolling with a causal 'friend's with benefits' relationship for a long time now, but every time I saw him I just felt myself wanting more. I didn't want to have to sleep with him every time I wanted to cuddle into his side and fall asleep. I wanted to be able to go public about us and be commonly known as an item, but I was starting to lose hope. Even the slightest mention of this desire would send Knuckles into shock. He'd become flustered, dismiss the topic with bickering and then take far too long to contact me again. He was a good guy, don't get me wrong. The sad thing was we just wanted different things.

I hesitated in my reply, fighting an internal battle over whether or not I should meet him. I wanted to be strong and walk away. I wanted to accept he didn't want me in the way I wanted him… but I couldn't. I was too weak.

_On my way sugar, be ready for me xoxo_

I grabbed my handbag and flung my phone into it, stopping only to shut down my laptop and turn out the lights before leaving the room. On my way back through the kitchen, I noticed Shadow was still sitting at the table, deeply engrossed in '_The Picture of Dorian Gray'_. Upon hearing me enter, he lifted his eyes towards me, assessing me.

"Off to see Knuckles?" he asked, though his tone made it seem more like a statement.

"Am indeed" I responded with a cheeky wink, "don't wait up."

"I won't, trust me" Shadow replied, chuckling a little as he did.

Just as I was about to leave through the back door, I turned back to him and said, "bare in mind, my ingenious plan begins tomorrow. You better be up for it Hedgehog."

Shadow smirked back at me.

"Try me."

* * *

><p>Okay! Well there we are! I hope you all appreciate that I stayed up until gone 2am to finish this before my life gets crazy over Christmas! Which reminds me: happy holidays, lovely readers, whatever you celebrate! Have fun, stay safe, and be prepared for more chapters coming soon! Bye x<p> 


	3. Champagne

**Dealing Hearts**

Hello again lovelies! Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! Here's a late present from me- another chapter (*everyone pretends to be excited but wishes I'd bought them all ipads*). Sorry this took so long, I've been busy as a bee these last few weeks!

**Chapter 3: Champagne**

(Rouge)

As I flew towards Angel Island, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. I was stronger than this; I was more independent than this. Never in my life had I ever relied on anybody but myself, and yet here I was, crawling back to a man who had rejected my proposals of a relationship numerous times. How utterly _desperate_ I had become. I felt sick, as though I were addicted to him, weak, pathetic. I tried my best to shake the negativity- after all, I wasn't just doing this to please _him_. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get my own form of pleasure out of our little… arrangement.

After a short while, I arrived, landing gently on the soft, green grass. Angel Island was a beautiful place full of lush woodland and ancient ruins, all hovering above the ocean. More importantly it was home to the master emerald, the one jewel I had always wanted more than any other and coincidentally the reason that Knuckles and I had gotten to know each other. We were a living, breathing cliché of a love/ hate relationship. He was a do-gooder, I was a villain… well, an anti-hero at best. Shadow had once made the hilarious comparison between Knuckles and I and Batman and Catwoman, and I couldn't deny I saw it too. It was little things like this that fooled the girlish, idealistic side of me that we were somehow 'meant to be' or 'written in the stars'. I would get my hopes up only to have them crushed. Lame, I know.

A deep, gruff voice from behind me drew me from my thoughts.

"You're late."

I turned around to see Knuckles himself a few feet away from me, leaning against a tree and wearing a cheeky side-smirk that made him look infuriatingly attractive. I was sure he could tell I was checking him out, but I couldn't stop my gaze from trailing all over his body, taking in his toned muscles and overall dashing good looks. I decided that the guy had entirely too much power over me.

"Joke's on you Knuckie," I said as I began to walk towards him, "you never set a time. Very unprofessional." As I approached him, I gave him a teasing wink and drew him in for a kiss. He was a good kisser, there was no denying it, I'd always known that.

But today… today seemed different somehow. I wasn't sure if it was my mind set- the fact I had come to accept that we wanted different things- or something else, something much worse. Suddenly, Knuckles deepened the kiss, pressing me up against the tree he had previously been lent on. At first I sighed contentedly, kissing back with all my might and trying my best to get into it.

And that's when it happened. Shadow popped into my head.

All I could see was his face in my mind, I could somehow taste him on Knuckles' lips, smell him, musky and warm. The feeling was all consuming, swirling around my entire body, throwing my thoughts in all directions at once. Why, why, why, why, _why_ was this happening?

I pulled away abruptly, too freaked out to continue. I hoped I didn't look too startled; I didn't want to offend or upset Knuckles, especially when I knew we were both so hot-headed and such a thing would only end in an argument. What had just happened? Why had I seen that? Surely I wasn't imagining kissing Shadow because I _liked_ him?

_No, that would be absurd. It's nothing: you're only remembering the kiss because it's fresh in your mind. You've kissed two different guys today, you're confused, cut yourself some slack, girl!_

"You okay?" Knuckles asked, genuine concern showing on his face. My heart suddenly skipped a beat and I could practically feel the shocked expression melting away from my features. He cared, and knowing that was enough to replace the bad thoughts with good ones. I was right, I had to be right; it was just the memories of earlier coming back up, nothing serious, no ulterior meaning.

"I'm fine," I assured him, offering him a genuine smile in return. He took my hand in his and chuckled, his crooked grin that I loved so much returning.

"Well good," he replied, "Because we need to get moving, I have something to show you."

My face must have given away the mixture of confusion and curiosity that stirred within me, but nevertheless, I allowed him to lead me deeper into the woods. Twigs crunched beneath my feet and I had to be very careful not to trip over in my heeled boots.

After walking for a while in silence, my inquisitive nature got the better of me.

"Where _are_ we going?" I asked, tugging on his hand for emphasis like a child nagging her mother. "The suspense is killing me!"

"Dramatic much?" he questioned with a chuckle.

"Always," I confirmed, batting my eyelashes and forcing my voice into a sickly sweet tone to further convince him to give me the information I wanted.

"Cool it bat girl," he responded, brushing off my flirtatious advances, "we're almost there."

I was about to protest again, but was stopped in my tracks before I could muster a witty line. Knuckles let go of my hand and stepped further in front of me, pushing aside a large leafy branch. Beyond it was a small clearing, lit up nicely by a combination of the moon's glow and an array of colourful lanterns that had been fastened to the trees above. In the middle of the clearing was a picnic blanket complete with a retro classic, red and white chequerboard pattern. Atop it were a picnic basket and a bottle of champagne- and by the looks of it, _expensive_ champagne- inside of an ice bucket. While I stood there, gaping like the idiot that I hoped I wasn't, Knuckles reached behind a tree and pulled out a bouquet of white Lilies. With a chuckle at my dumbfounded expression, he held the flowers out, offering them to me.

"Umm… Knuckles?" I began, unsure of quite what to say. "Isn't this all a bit much fanfare for a bit of 'outdoor fun'?" At this he laughed, and pushed the flowers towards me once again, urging me to take them. I did.

"Oh Rouge, you never change," he replied, placing a kiss on my forehead. I couldn't remember the last time he'd done that, if he ever even had. I was taken aback; what was with this sudden change in character? Well, not character exactly I supposed, he'd always been a good guy and a gentleman for the most part. It was just his attitude towards me that was different. He'd never shown so much affection before, but I sure as hell wasn't complaining.

"Maybe I don't," I began, finally composing myself, "but you sure do. What's with all this- not that it's a bad thing- just why?" For the first time since I'd gotten there, Knuckles began to look genuinely uneasy. In the low light, I could have sworn I saw a blush sweep across his cheeks, something that wasn't too uncommon for the Echidna when he was in my presence, but usually it was because I'd said something hideously risqué or beaten him in a fight.

"Well…" he began, trailing off nervously. He took my hand that wasn't holding the flowers in his own and looked down at the floor.

"Oh out with it!" I exclaimed, the suspense toying with my short fuse.

"Don't push me!" he shouted back. We were already up in each other's faces arguing and barely anything had happened. It was fair to say we both just intrinsically aggravated each other.

"Oh yeah? You don't like that?" I teased, prodding him in the chest for emphasis. "Well I'm pushing." I could see him trying to cool his temper so as not to completely snap at me. Such situations usually lead to physical violence, a lot of kicking and punching, but that was just how we got our feelings out. We were both decent fighters- very evenly matched- and after all, beating the crap out of bad guys (or anyone who stood in our way) was kind of our thing.

"Look," he began, regaining calm but continuing with his snarky tone. "I have no idea why, as you're clearly an incessant annoyance in my life, but lately I've been considering some of the things you've said."

_Oh dear Chaos, this is it._

"You're right that we're good together," he continued, "albeit in the most dysfunctional way imaginable. You drive me crazy, in good ways and in bad." At this, I giggled in a hopelessly girlish manner.

"Same to you on that one Knuckie," I replied; affectionately- and very patronisingly- ruffling the top of his head before taking his hand in mine once more.

"I just… I feel like this 'arrangement' may as well be taken up a notch" he stated. "We already know each other well, we play well off of each other's flaws and strengths, you're ridiculously beautiful, and I'm the hunkiest guy around. It just makes sense to date."

Before I could celebrate my victory of finally securing some kind of legitimate relationship with the guy I liked, I had one more jab to make.

"Ew, did you seriously just use the word 'hunkiest'?"

"Yes I did," he replied, "and rightfully too, have you seen me?"

"Too much of you."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" he exclaimed, anger rising once again. I just laughed it off. Same old Knuckles. He seemed to see the funny side eventually and joined me in laughter.

"So let me get this straight," I began once I had finally managed to compose myself. "You're asking me to be your _girlfriend_?" He nodded, the blush in his cheeks deepening. "Why now?" I asked.

He seemed to take a while to consider his response. When he finally found one, he replied, "Because this has gone on too long for us to not at least _try_ to take it to the next level. I like you a lot, and I know you feel the same, so why not? If it fails we can still be friends, it's worth a shot, it'd be a waste not to, you know?"

I thought about his words. It wasn't exactly every girls dream way to be asked out, but then Knuckles was- to put it lightly- socially awkward, and probably couldn't see a better way. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic, too many years of love songs and chick flics had messed with my mind. This was what I really wanted after all; I should take it while I had the chance. No guy had ever been so sweet towards me, no guy had ever gone to all this effort to win my affection.

"Aww Knuckie" I replied sarcastically, "does someone have a little crush on me?"

"Well yes. I thought that much was obvious," he responded. "Now _please_ give me an answer, the suspense is _killing_ me here."

I giggled and sporadically jumped on him, knocking him back a few paces before he could steady himself and wrap his arms around me, holding me in place.

"Knuckles," I said, in what was possibly the most serious voice in which I had ever spoken to him since we met. "I would _love_ to be your girlfriend. I thought you'd never ask." As I spoke, his eyes lit up and I could see that a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He chuckled and drew my face down to his for a kiss, one that meant more to me than ever before.

Shadow didn't appear this time. It was just me and him, holding each other and kissing deeply, forgetting about the rest of the world. After a while, he gently set me down on the ground in front of him, his lips not once breaking contact with my own.

Gradually and reluctantly, I pulled away and said, "Well, that champagne isn't going to drink itself you know."

"Want some?" he replied, leading me over to the picnic blanket. "I should warn you though, there's not actually any food in the basket: it's just there for dramatic effect." I couldn't help laughing out loud at this as we sat down next to each other. As he poured me a glass of champagne, I snuggled into his side, happy to freely be able to do so without feeling like I was pushing any boundaries we had set.

The glass he had poured me was filled almost to the rim.

"Woah woah, slow down!" I cautioned, "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"That's the beauty of it," he smirked, "I don't have to." I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help grinning to myself.

"Cute," I replied, sarcasm dripping from my voice. I took the glass from him and clinked it together with his own.

"Cheers to… ughh I don't know this is too cheesy" he said, taking a huge gulp of champagne.

"Cheers to me still being a bitch, you still being a hothead, but us being able to ignore those flaws and tolerate each other for extended periods of time?" I offered.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "to that."

Within half an hour we had finished the entire bottle of champagne, and could certainly feel the effects. He drew me in for another kiss, the alcohol somehow making it feel even more electrifying than usual.

It wasn't long before the kisses developed into a full frontal make out session. And that's what we did, all night… well and a whole load of other related things, but I don't think I need to go into detail. The point is- I was content, I was finally in a relationship with a nice guy, and it was the one person I had always wanted.

This was going to make my wager with Shadow very, _very_ complicated.

* * *

><p>(Shadow *the next night*)<p>

Rouge was late. _Really _late.

Not that such a thing was uncommon- the bat arrived whenever she pleased and never bothered to make excuses- but the particular situation at hand made me uneasy.

I was in the club on my own, tending the bar as I so often did. The difference? It was a Saturday night, thus making the place hideously busy. We only opened on the weekends anyway, meaning that everyone who was a fan of the club for whatever reason only had a short window of time to visit. Why anyone would enjoy standing around, squished together like sardines, trying to look 'cool' I would never understand, but at least being behind the bar gave me my own personal bubble of space to stand in. Rouge usually helped me out, and also went out into the crowd to make sure everyone was okay. It was her damn club after all, her insane idea for a cover that I only helped with so that I could live there without feeling I didn't contribute anything. I could do no such thing as I feared abandoning my post would result in a vicious raid on the alcohol.

The other thing that was making me tense, besides the out of control party goers that I so hated, was the fact that today was the day Rouge wanted to set her plan into action. Tonight was the night that Amy would show up and I was supposed to begin 'phase one'. I think that's perhaps what was bugging me the most: Rouge was late to _her own plan_. She'd been obsessed with it just yesterday and now she was nowhere to be seen.

My train of thought was suddenly interrupted when the bat herself came scurrying over, weaving through a horde of other animals dancing around. A few guys- namely a tall orange dog and a purple fox- began to catcall at her as she passed, but she just rolled her eyes and continued walking towards me. She carelessly flew over the bar and landed expertly on the ground. I couldn't help but notice she looked absolutely exhausted, but it still didn't tarnish the fact that she was overall well presented.

"Hmph…you're late." I stated, crossing my arms and turning slightly away from her. "And you didn't come home last night. Where have you been?"

"I told you," she began, "I went over to Angel Island. I guess I ended up staying the night. Is that an issue?"

"Not really," I replied, though admittedly I had been worried about her. She didn't have to know that though. "It would just be great if I knew whether or not to expect you back is all."

"Oh sorry _dad_," she teased, "I'll remember to ask your permission next time."

"Very funny," I retorted, bland and sarcastic, "you're hysterical."

"Aren't I always?" she remarked. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with that same gleam of excitement that I had seen yesterday, though now even more so.

"What's got you all worked up anyway?" I asked, her reaction showing me that I'd caught on to something important. To say I wasn't just a little proud of myself would be a lie. I was really starting to get a grip of this whole 'social cues' thing.

"Okay, so you know how Knuckles and I have been seeing each other?" she asked, launching straight into her story.

"Well, if 'seeing each other' is the correct term for whatever you two have then yes."

"Last night, we made it official!" she announced, practically jumping up and down with excitement. "He set up a little picnic area and bought me flowers and champagne and asked me to be his girlfriend. That guy _really_ knows how to treat a lady. Hopefully we can make you _just _as good with girls so this whole Amy thing will be a breeze."

"I'll try not to be offended that you just implied that the Echidna is smoother than me." In truth he probably was, but I had a reputation to uphold. Usually, I tried not to get too involved in Rouge's love life. After all, it could get pretty complex and honestly rather dirty at times. The bottom line was that I just didn't want to know. Usually I just let her go off and do her own thing and didn't really care... but something about this whole Knuckles scenario really grated on me. Granted, I wasn't the biggest fan of the red echidna, but hadn't cared when they were just hooking up. Maybe I was just pissed at the fact he'd now undoubtedly be round the house a lot more. Maybe I was just being over protective of my best friend around a guy I didn't like. Who knew. My complex brain confused even me.

Rouge almost entirely ignored my comment and continued on with her own story. "Regardless, Shaddy, I'll still take you out if this Amy thing fails."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Ohhh ouch!" she giggled.

"Speaking of all this," I began, bringing up something that had been bugging me since before we even began speaking. "Did you manage to find Amy? Is she coming?"

"Yes," she responded, "but only after hours of flying about from place to place looking, hence why it took me forever to get here. She says she and Blaze will stop by later. I actually had to say her drink would be _free_ to lure her to come. Can you believe it? So high maintenance!"

"Says you!" I chuckled. "You're the _queen_ of high maintenance!"

"Yay, at least I'm a queen." She replied. "Anyway, I take it you put the rest of the flyers up around the club? This needs to be official!"

"All done," I assured her.

"Good, so we're all set," she concluded, "I guess now all that's left to do is wait for Amy to show up.

* * *

><p>And so we waited.<p>

For two entire hours.

When the pink hedgehog and her purple cat friend finally arrived, Rouge was out scouting the dancefloor and interacting with guests. As they walked past her, she immediately clocked them and escorted them to the bar. On approach, I could hear Rouge sweet-talking them as she did with all the club goers.

"Blaze, that lipstick is fantastic," I heard her say, "really eye-catching, you look stunning. And Amy, your hair looks incredible! How long did that take?"

Both girls in question were blushing profusely and mumbling flustered "thank you's." The thing about Rouge was that despite her sneakiness and two-faced nature, she somehow managed to charm anyone she met, which only made it easier for her to manipulate them. Girls wanted to be her and guys wanted to be with her, so everyone wanted her approval. It was as though people fell under a sort of spell when they spoke to her, and I would be lying if I said I was entirely immune to it. I didn't fall for as much of her bullshit as most people, sure, but well… she'd managed to convince me to go through with her scheme so she must at least have some power over me.

Before I knew it the three girls were at the bar, and Amy was directly across from me. Rouge eyed me desperately as if silently screaming '_say something Shadow'._

How long had I been staring?

"Uhh… hi," I began. Smooth Shadow, real smooth. "How are you guys?" Better.

"Fantastic thank you," replied Blaze in her ever-polite manner.

_Great, _I thought, _but I wasn't talking to you._ Well I mean technically I was, but at that moment, it would've been so much easier if Amy had responded. Now I had to address her personally.

"Amy?" I asked, trying to keep things simple and hoping my question would imply itself.

"I'm okay," she stated with a sigh. She rested on the bar as she continued. "I'm guessing by now you heard about Sonic. It's been a little rough since the break-up, but I'm good overall."

Her pretty, high pitched voice seemed to shake a little as she spoke, and quite frankly it made me uncomfortable. Seeing someone who was usually so upbeat and full of joy so… empty… really terrified me. I suppose I had a weak spot for pretty girls who were full of hope; a need to protect them since Maria. For the first time in a while, I felt genuine sorrow on another's behalf, and I was determined to do something about it.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I stated, "Please, take a seat, I'll get you girls anything you want: on the house."

Once I had gotten them some drinks, Rouge took the hint and escorted Blaze off elsewhere so that I could spend some alone time with Amy.

"Blaze, I love your dress!" she began, hurling out more manipulative compliments.

"Thank you, I made it myself." Blaze responded.

"No way!" Rouge exclaimed, "come on, you have to tell me all about it." With that, she whisked her away without another word, drink in hand. It had all happened so suddenly and so smoothly that the girl sitting opposite me looked somewhat flustered and confused.

"Sorry about Rouge," I said, breaking the silence as best I could. "She's an eccentric one."

"I never thought she'd have an interest in homemade clothes," Amy pondered, her little face furrowing into a frown. "I always thought it was more about the designer labels for her."

"It is," I agreed with a shrug, "perhaps she's finally taking my advice and becoming less high maintenance… though in truth I seriously doubt it." Amy giggled at my words, the sound filling my being with a joyful feeling that was foreign to me.

"So what's the deal with you two?" she asked, referring to Rouge and I. "Are you-"

"Friends," I interrupted, a little too suddenly. Of course it was true, technically speaking, but after that kiss last night, I felt a little awkward about the subject. I had _just_ gotten my first kiss from my best friend, while she simultaneously tried to set me up with someone way out of my league. My poor little artificially created brain was all jumbled up. "Just friends. She drives me up the wall, I don't know how I cope."

_Great, just what I need. The girl I like thinks I like someone else._

"_Really_?" she pressed, "I guess I just always thought there was something going on. You've always spent a lot of time together, you always seem to show up to places and missions and stuff as a duo. Forgive me, I read too much into it." I couldn't help but chuckle at how apologetic she was over something so small. It was refreshing to hear when I couldn't even get Rouge to apologise for doing the most dreadful of things. Last week she'd accidentally dyed my bed sheets pink in the wash, and rather than apologising, she had relished in it.

"At first it was by force," I admitted, "Eggman thought it was a good idea to team us up, but after we left his side we just somehow carried on hanging out. I suppose she was the only person I ever really felt close to since…"

I didn't need to finish my sentence, Amy understood without words. She'd always somehow known how I worked, how my brain ticked. On Space Colony Ark, it has been _her_ who convinced me to help save the world… in a matter of minutes she had entirely changed my whole perspective on life. Amy had a power over people in the opposite way to Rouge. While Rouge lied and manipulated, Amy inspired others to be the best possible version of themselves, and that is what had always made me admire her.

"It's alright Shadow," she assured me, leaning her hand over the bar to touch mine in a comforting gesture. "You can talk to me about… _her_… if you want."

It was only then that I truly realised how extraordinarily beautiful she looked that night. She wore her pale pink quills in a classy up-do, and her normal red dress was exchanged for a glittering silver one that made her radiant jade eyes all the more prominent. She wore pearl earrings too, along with a black hairband in place of her usual red one. The girl always looked great, but tonight she was jaw-dropping.

And I suddenly became all too aware that her hand was touching mine.

I blushed suddenly, and I was sure she noticed because she began to giggle. I decided to try and revert back to an earlier topic.

"No, don't worry about it, it's all ancient history now anyway," I assured her. "You're the one dealing with a _current_ issue. If you don't mind, what exactly happened between you and Sonic?"

"It's… kind of a long story."

* * *

><p>Mwhahahahaha I love cliff hangers! Hope you do too ;) See you all next time! Remember to drop me a review or PM if you have any good ideas suggestions, or just to say hi :) x


	4. Nightmares

**Dealing Hearts**

Hiya guys! Updating faster aren't I?! I loved, loved, LOVED writing the second part of this chapter, it all came to me so naturally, I just loved it. Read and review lovelies and don't be scared to drop me a message!

**Chapter 4: Nightmares**

(Shadow)

I listened intently as Amy spoke, hanging off her every word. She spoke so eloquently, even though I could see that behind the front, she was hurting inside. What I would give to see that hurt go away…

She explained to me how Sonic had wronged her: how he had ignored her throughout most of their relationship, how he had constantly made her question his feelings, how he had ditched plans with her to see his friends on multiple occasions. I couldn't fathom how anybody could treat a person like Amy in that way, with little to no regard for her feelings, but then the faker was always full of nasty surprises. He had never struck me as a person who was particularly grateful for those in his life as I was almost positive that he loved himself far more than he could ever love another.

"I know this is _exactly_ what you would expect me to say," I began in response, "but you can do better. That faker isn't worth anyone's time, I would know." Amy giggled a little at this, but I wasn't quite sure why. Maybe she agreed with me, maybe she too thought Sonic was just a lousy faker.

"What's so funny?" I questioned, social awkwardness and curiosity getting the better of me.

"It's just that you never change," she explained, "your hatred for Sonic is just as strong as always. I like the consistency."

"Well what can I say?" I chuckled in response, "I gotta give the fans what they want." She laughed again, a sweet, musical melody. Was I… was I actually _funny_ to her? When I spoke to Amy, did I enter some sort of alternate universe where my jokes got more than a pity laugh? I liked to think so.

"You're a funny guy Shadow, you should show it more often," Amy stated. My eyes widened in surprise at how disturbingly similar the statement was to what Rouge had said to me the night before. What was women's obsession with comedic men? It made no sense, at least not biologically. But then, I supposed, looking for a mate wasn't just about biological compatibility these days. People were weird.

"I've been told," I countered. I was silent for a while and then the seemingly obvious truth hit me.

_I needed to think of a way to compliment her back. __**Fast.**_

"You're a sweet girl, Amy," I finally mustered. _You're a __**sweet girl**__?_ What was I thinking? Cringe. Mental facepalm. I tried to save myself. "Far too sweet to be hanging out in this dive. What brought you here tonight?" Phew.

"Well Rouge coaxed me with free drinks," she admitted- I guessed she had no idea I knew of their encounter-, "and to be honest I just needed to get out for a while. I've found myself sitting around moping and awful lot." She looked down and blushed a little, the colouring making her face even more pink. Adorable.

"Actually," she continued, "it's been really nice talking to you about everything tonight. Actually, it's been wonderful. Thanks for listening Shadow it means a lot."

"Hey," I replied, "any chance to badmouth faker: count me in!" As she began to giggle again I remembered what Rouge had said was the final goal of the 'sweetening' phase of the plan. I needed to arrange another meet up… and since Amy had finished her drink and was checking the time on her phone, it would have to be soon! "Hey, actually," I continued, "how about we meet up at some point soon? We can bad mouth him some more if you like? Or, you know, just chat about life. Sound good?"

Amy considered my offer for a while before responding. Was the pause a good thing? Was she looking for a way to put me down gently? Was I worrying far too much? Oh, the questions I found myself pondering.

"I'd love to Shadow," she responded, seeming enthused about the idea. "Tomorrow morning for coffee in Caffeine Dreams?" Odd how this was exactly what Rouge had in mind.

"Sounds perfect," I concluded. "Ten O'clock okay for you?" She nodded happily and I mentally high fived myself for keeping it together long enough to actually complete phase one of the plan. Talking to Amy all night had been pleasant; actually it had been great. I realised that I'd become so interested in her life and what was troubling her, that it had made my own problems vanish in comparison. I needed someone like that in my life.

Amy hung around and made idle chatter with me for another ten minutes or so, before Blaze finally escaped Rouge's clutches and made her way back over to the bar. Chaos only knows what the bat had done to her, but she didn't look too keen on sticking around, so politely motioned for Amy to come away from me and made a hasty exit. Once they were out of the club and out of ear shot, Rouge hopped up onto a bar stool in front of me and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Well that's a flirtatious look," I observed, "thought you'd save those for Knuckles." She rolled her eyes at me and flicked me on the arm with surprising force.

"No you moron, can't you read body language?" she asked. Well evidently not. "I _meant_ 'how did it go with Amy'?" At the mention of the pink hedgehog I could feel my entire demeanour change to one of utter pride and satisfaction.

"Well stage one in complete," I replied, as casually as possible. "Bet you didn't think I could do it, did you, bat?"

"Of course I did!" she argued, jumping off of her seat in a mixture of excitement and aggravation. "That's the whole reason I made a wager with you Shadow, because believe it or not, I have _faith_ in you."

Her words- despite being harshly delivered- spread a warm and fuzzy feeling all over my body. It wasn't often that someone would openly say such a thing to me, mostly because I often came off as selfish and gave them very little reason to. Still, it was nice to hear once in a while, regardless.

"We're meeting for coffee at ten tomorrow morning," I informed her, grazing over the soppy, emotional business. Not my thing.

"Perfect," she answered, "we shall discuss phase two of the plan over breakfast."

"Can't wait," I responded sarcastically.

Once everyone had left the club and we closed the bar down, we headed up to bed, both equally as exhausted. As I began to drift off, I was met with the smiling face of a pretty pink hedgehog in a glittering silver dress… but the images soon changed to something far, far more sinister…

* * *

><p>(Rouge)<p>

I gasped as Shadow released me from his embrace and shoved me roughly onto his bed. He smirked down at me seductively before leaning over me and trailing heavy kisses along my jawline and down my neck. He fixated on a spot just above my collar bone and began to suck on the tender skin, causing me to moan out loud. Damn it was good, _so_ good. He noticed my reaction and climbed gracefully on top of me, pressing his body to mine, all the while continuing to suck on my neck. My hands found their way up into his quills and intertwined with them, tugging on them subconsciously and causing him to grunt as his mouth moved against my skin. I moaned again, and he gave a low, throaty chuckle, all too pleased with himself. In one swift movement, he moved his lips back up to mine and kissed them forcefully, the intensity making my stomach do flip flops. He grabbed both my wrists in his hands and slammed them down either side of my head, pinning me down below him. He kissed me even harder, forcing me to sink further into the mattress.

I tried to free my hands so that I could return them to his quills but I couldn't, he was too strong for me. It occurred to me that that had never happened before; I had never been with a guy who was strong enough to completely dominate me… and with a rush of excitement I realised that I loved it. They didn't call him the ultimate life form for nothing. His tongue slid expertly into my mouth as he moved his right hand from my wrist and snaked it underneath my back, attempting to unhook my bra…

"Maria," he whispered. Wait. Maria?

And then I woke up. Suppressing a scream I sat bolt upright in bed- my own bed thank Chaos.

_I just had a dream about Shadow,_ I thought to myself, _and not just any dream… a __**sexy**__ dream._ My face was flushed, I felt hot all over, and I was panting from the shock. What was I _thinking_? What was _wrong_ with me? I had literally gotten into a relationship with the guy I had liked for _years_ a matter of _hours_ ago and now all of a sudden I was having erotic dreams about my housemate? I made no sense.

_You're just remembering that kiss again, Rouge, calm down._

As soon as I gathered my thoughts, I realised what it was that had woken me so abruptly.

"Maria!" Shadow practically shouted from down the hall.

_So __**that's **__why he said Maria in the dream, it all makes sense._

I was willing to bet good money he wasn't awake. Ever since I had known Shadow, he had had regular night terrors about the day Maria Robotnik was shot aboard Space Colony Ark all those years ago. He saw himself running down an endless hallway, dragging her with him; he saw the light leave her eyes as the last drops of life drained from her being. It was so sad to see, and the more he told me about it, the more I pitied him. Shadow was actually a very fragile person underneath his tough exterior, and so few people knew this, but who could really blame him? He was depressed: depressed and traumatised. It broke my heart.

"Maria!" he yelled again, seeming even more pained this time. I hopped out of bed and flung on my slippers and a silk robe. I had to go to him, I couldn't let the suffering go on any longer and I sure as hell couldn't lay there and listen to it.

I trudged down the hallway, making no effort to quiet my footsteps: after all, the goal here was to wake him up anyway. As I entered his room, my eyes immediately fell upon his bed, the place where we had kissed and teased and where we would've undoubtedly had sex in the dream. My heart did an unsuspected flutter at the memory.

_Not now!_ I shook the thought from my mind, focusing again on the task at hand. _Your friend is hurting._

The black hedgehog stirred in his sleep, flinging himself violently from left to right. He looked anguished, panicked. I had to wake him up.

I sat down gently on the edge of his bed, being careful not to sit on him. I placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently, hoping it would wake him. For a while it didn't, he continued to thrash about.

"Shadow," I whispered, "Shads wake up, sweet, it's only a dream." Hearing his name seemed to grab his attention and he sat bolt upright in bed as I had done earlier, his eyes springing open. He looked at me intently, fear written all over his features, and grabbed my face between his hands.

"Maria," he insisted, his voice desperate, "Maria, why did you have to go? I need you, I can't live with myself." His grip on my face was tight and I could feel pain shooting down my jaw, but I tried not to flinch. His expression was a distorted mixture of anger, terror and longing, and his fierce red eyes cut into my soul. He was so powerful- stronger than he realised-and I would have been terrified if it weren't for the fact that this was _Shadow_: my closest friend and greatest ally. He would never hurt me on purpose. Not to mention I had dealt with similar scenarios before.

"No Shadow," I replied calmly, sadness showing in my voice. I placed my own hands on top of his that still gripped my face and stroked them gently with my thumbs. "It's Rouge remember? It's your friend. It's not Maria…"

"Maria…" He insisted, his voice more distant this time, more confused than angry.

"No dear," I soothed, gently shaking my head within his grasp. I laced my fingers between his and gently urged his hands down so they were instead resting in my lap, still intertwined with my own. Shadow quickly and vigorously shook his head and snatched his hands back. He still looked confused, but I could tell from his shift in demeanour that he'd snapped out of his half-dreaming state and was back to reality. He visibly relaxed and slumped back, no longer sat bolt upright in a tense position. Silence lingered for a while before I spoke up.

Reaching out a hand and pressing it to his forehead, I uttered, "Are you okay?" He felt boiling, but I wasn't surprised after all the thrashing around he had been doing. Shadow looked haunted, his eyes glossed over and distant. I could tell that the horror of what had just happened was fully sinking in. He had knocked himself speechless.

Without even thinking, I shuffled closer to the ebony hedgehog, so close that my left leg was touching his right. I wrapped and arm around him and rubbed his back in soothing circles, trying my best to comfort him. He made no attempt to move or push me away, he simply sat there, cross-legged, staring down blankly at his hands.

"I'm sorry Rouge…" he finally uttered. His voice was quiet, distant. He sounded ashamed and embarrassed over what had just happened. Yet again, another sign of his boundless selflessness: he was suffering and yet still worried more about me.

"Shadow, you know I don't mind," I replied, my voice soft and calming. "I'm your friend, this is what I'm here for." He shook his head.

"Nobody should have to put up with someone like me," he spat, "I'm a lunatic."

He turned to look at me, his ruby orbs telling me that he genuinely believed what he was saying. I hurt so much for him in that moment; I wanted more than anything to be able to convince him that he wasn't crazy, that he was fantastic and deserved love and friendship and everything good in the world. I _hated_ when people judged Shadow as harshly as they sometimes did, I hated that people wrote him off as spiteful and depressing and made his complex about himself even worse. I wanted to take all of that away, I wanted him to finally be at peace with Maria's death and I wanted him to actually, truly be _happy_. I'd tried many a time, and never succeeded. Maybe that was why I was obsessing over the Amy thing so much: I had finally found a way to make my best friend as happy as he rightfully deserved to be.

"Don't talk like that Shaddy, you know it breaks me," I choked out, my voice no more than a whisper. He gave me a sad smile in return before resting his head on my shoulder. I could feel his breath on my collar bone, reminding me inappropriately of my dream.

_Goddamn it Rouge! How selfish __**are**__ you?_

I immediately shook the thought from my head and continued to rub circles on Shadow's back.

"It's okay to miss her, you know," I assured him. "Never let anyone tell you that you should be over it. I will do this every single night if I need to; you have nothing to be ashamed of. The way you feel about what happened is perfectly natural. You're _not_ a lunatic."

"I just miss her _so_ much." Shadow whimpered. "I can't explain it. It's like a part of me died with her, and where that part used to be is just a bunch of awful memories."

"I can't even imagine," I admitted, "but what I _do_ know is that you're strong, and one day you will wake up and this weight will be lifted. One day the pain will go away, trust me. Time heals all wounds, Shads, this is just a very big one."

Shadow lifted his head from my shoulder and looked up at me, taking my free hand in his and squeezing it lightly with a small smile. I could see that he had shed a few tears while he'd been resting on my shoulder; it took a lot to make Shadow the Hedgehog cry, but when he did, Maria was almost always the trigger.

"Just…" He began, trailing off. It was clear he was feeling a little awkward with the way the conversation was headed. "Just don't abandon me," he pleaded. "I know I'm crazy but just… don't go anywhere, okay? I- I need you, Rouge, I really do. I don't know what I'd do without you. I know I tease you a lot but you're an incredible friend." He wiped a stray tear from his cheek and mustered a half-hearted chuckle. "I mean, look at the state of me, I'm _crying_ in front of you!" he continued. "I trust you with my life, bat!"

The sincerity with which he spoke tugged at my heart strings and I couldn't hold myself back from pulling him into a sudden and tight embrace. I clung to my best friend for dear life, and was happy to feel him return the hug with just as much intensity. He buried his head into my neck and I buried mine into his shoulder and sighed. We didn't need words. This kind of physical closeness between us was rare and usually only took place in the wake of a tragedy. This said more than a million words could. All things aside, though, I was beginning to feel my eyelids droop and I suddenly became all too aware that it was the middle of the night.

"I should probably get back to bed," I concluded as I began to let go of the hedgehog. "I can't go without my beauty sleep, it would be a tragedy of the highest order. You gonna be okay?"

"Stay." He blurted out. He looked embarrassed, as if the word had slipped out before he could stop himself. If it weren't so dark, I was sure I would have seen him blush. Hastily, he gathered his words and attempted to explain himself.

"I-it's just that I'm uhh… still kinda shaken up," he admitted. "Do… do you mind? I mean, feel free to go, I just..." He looked pained to say the last bit, as though it would destroy his entire reputation in one fell swoop. If anyone else had heard it probably would have done. "I'm scared. I'm scared I'll have the dream again."

I smiled sadly at him, bringing my hand up to his face and caressing his cheek sympathetically. My poor, poor Shadster.

I didn't even have to think about my answer.

"I'll be right here when you wake up," I whispered softly with a smile. He smiled back at me in return and gave a happy little sigh that was just so painfully adorable coming from the 'oh-so-tough' Ultimate Life Form. I kicked off my slippers, crawled up to the top end of the bed and shimmied under the covers. Shadow soon joined me.

There wasn't a great deal of room in his single bed and we found ourselves pressed against each other but I honestly didn't mind. It was _Shadow_. Nothing felt wrong or risqué about it at all.

_Sharing a bed with the guy you just had __**that**__ dream about when you already have a boyfriend? _

**SHUT UP**, I told my nagging inside voice. Conversations with myself: maybe I was the crazy one!

We both lay facing to the right and Shadow protectively draped an arm across me, as if he were a small child and I was the stuffed animal providing him with comfort. I felt good: warm, comfortable, happy. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep: a blissful, dreamless sleep.

I didn't hear from Shadow again all night.

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning alone and slightly confused as to why I was in Shadow's bed. After it had all come back to me, I got up and wandered into the kitchen to find the black hedgehog himself standing at the stove, making pancakes. I'm pretty certain my jaw straight up dropped at the sight.<p>

"You're _cooking_?" I questioned in utter disbelief. "Do you want me to call the fire station _now_ and let them know or…"

"Very funny bat," he responded dryly. He turned to face me and I noticed that aside from the bags under his eyes, all traces of the previous night had been completely erased. "I actually thought I'd do something a little special for you this morning, just as… you know. A thank you, I guess. For last night."

"Shadow, you know it's no big deal I-"

"I know, I know," he replied, "but it is to me." He sighed as he quickly spun back around to flip a pancake. Of course he caught it perfectly. He was the Ultimate Life Form after all.

"I don't think you realise," he continued, looking pained as he did so, "how hard it is for me to let people in like that. Emotions aren't my strong point- I'm learning, granted- but opening up to you like I did last night took some guts. Every part of my being was screaming at me to get a grip or I'd freak you out, but you stayed… all night. So thanks. Here are some pancakes."

The way he ended his spiel was so funny and adorable that I couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Oh Shadow," I responded, "don't worry so much. I've seen you cry over movies before- I've seen you cry over storylines in _video games_- that was nothing." Shadow rolled his eyes and 'humphed' at me for resurfacing such embarrassing memories

"I can take the pancakes back…"

"NO!" I shouted all too quickly, "you know I love your cooking! Let's eat!"

* * *

><p>And there we have it. I feel that was rather adorable. A little too adorable but I don't care it was all so fun! Updates coming asap!<p> 


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